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-- First Seen: 2009-09-08

This is a preview of: Phoebus Krumm

The Transcript For This Page

PANEL ONE (splash -- all of page)

Most of the panel (trending toward the lower left) is taken up by
a planet seen from relatively low orbit. The terminator is visible, as
are clusters of lighted dots -- parts of an immense city -- on the
dark side. On the light side, covered in swirls of cloud, is the hint
of a continent, a coastline, and an ocean.

Between the observer and the planet there are swarms of spacegoing
vessels. Mostly visible are starsailing ships of many different sizes,
maintaining orbit and position with great billowing yardages of photon
sail. They are like small trees planted in buckets -- the 'buckets'
are their hulls -- with their bottoms aimed at the planet, and their
'trees' or masts pointed away.

We can see the hull and uppermost deck of the closest ship to us,
perhaps with tiny human figures on it and in the yards and rigging of
the mast.

All in all there are three or four decks (the ship is medium
sized) with gunports and other features we'd associate with a sailing
ship, except that the hull is cylindrical, and tapers very slightly
toward the rounded bottom, from which a cable extends toward the
planet. From it dangles what could be called an 18th century elevator
car without a shaft around it.

There is just the slightest glow or radiance surrounding the ship,
indicating the #-field (sector-field) that makes the upper deck a
shirtsleeve environment, and inertialess faster-than-light tachyon
sailing possible.

Another ship, in the middle distance, has its sails stricken and
is being towed by what look like small rocket vessels attached on
either side of the hull with long cables. We can see white-hot
illuminated blasts at their sterns.

The rest of the ships are too small for much detail. They are like
an enormous school of fish, or flocks of bird.

In the far background a sun is shining on the day-side of the
planet.

Narrative (upper left-hand corner): 'Hanover II, capital planet of the
Monopolity of Hanover. It was a brand new world ... '

Narrative (lower righthand corner): ' ... but parts of it were
unspeakably old.'